The impact of environmental and climate change, coupled with high oil prices, fossil fuel resources and energy regulations are driving the development of renewable energy. The present invention is based on thermal gradient energy conversion for the generation of hydroelectric power.
As the oceans cover a little more than 70 percent of the Earth's surface it makes the sea the largest solar energy collector on the planet and is ideally suited for the present invention. When the difference between the warm surface water and the cold deep water is above 18 degrees Celsius, a thermal energy conversion system becomes viable as it utilizes this natural thermal gradient to drive a power plant. Typically around 3,000 mega watts of electrical power can be produced per 100 square miles of ocean surface.
Conventional ocean thermal energy conversion designs use a fluid, such as ammonia, (Closed cycle) or sea water (Open cycle) to rotate a turbine to generate electricity. The disadvantage of conventional designs is that a low pressure vapor turbine requires a much higher ocean temperature gradient to operate. Low pressure vapor turbines are inherently big, expensive and inefficient compared to high pressure hydraulic turbines of similar output. The system also requires a large floating platform to support the heat exchangers, pumps and turbine and the platform should also be designed to withstand severe storms and hurricanes.
As such it would be useful to have a thermal gradient hydroelectric power system and method.